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A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

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Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#31

Post by markdown »

istorical wrote: post #22
markdown wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What stupid, idiotic developers they have. Only the top 200 pixels of that photo are used on the page, yet they load this 4.5MB monstrosity: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518531933037-91b2f5f229cc... I mean, it's not hard to write code to crop the photo and only send the necessary portion over the wire. I should send Notion a bill for the four unnecessary megabytes. Not to mention 2MB of javascript :O WTF?

guidelines for HN comments: "Be kind. Don't be snarky. Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine. Please don't fulminate. Please don't sneer, including at the rest of the community. Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive. When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is…

I think I've given them all the kindness they deserve for the disrespect with which they treat me and everyone else who visits their website.

It's clear they just completely lack empathy.

The downvotes and your response only serves to embolden them and others of their ilk who treat with disdain anyone without the privilege of first-world internet.

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#33

Post by J253 »

chrisandchips wrote: post #12

In the 1970s, a Canadian composer named Mort Garson composed a full electronic album meant to be played to house plants. It's called Mother Earth's Plantasia, because it was primarily distributed at plant boutique in L.A. named "Mother Earth". My dad had a copy lying about that I used to listen to in high school when I'd be studying. It turns out its become a cult classic online, as a sort of pioneering electronic wo…

Just last week, a song from this album popped on my Spotify discover weekly and I really liked it. Until I read your comment right now, I didn’t understand the context of the album. When I checked the screen to see what I was listening to I first thought it was done in parody or in a mocking fashion or something. I had a mental note to go back and research it a bit more to figure out what it really was, and now I know. And I’m suddenly excited to go back and listen to the entire album. Thanks!

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#34

Post by Plantlover69 »

computerphage wrote: post #17
Plantlover69 wrote: post #14

Here's a tip I learned from taking care of house plants for the last year and half. 'Note that when you buy a plant, it usually comes in a "potter's pot" which is a small plastic container meant for temporary use. Ideally, you'd buy new pots (terracotta or ceramic) and re-pot your plant with additional soil.' Instead of repotting into a new pot, keep the plants in the "potter's pot" and sit that in a nice decorative…

Why is it harder to remove them from ceramic pots?

Ceramic pots are heavier, especially at larger sizes, and can be difficult to lift, upturn, generally handle for some people. Also the thin plastic pots have a bit of give allowing one to squeeze them, loosening the soil and root ball, which can make it easier to remove the plant. Otherwise tools might be needed, like a scoop, that can damage to roots.

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#35

Post by oasisbob »

Plantlover69 wrote: post #14

Here's a tip I learned from taking care of house plants for the last year and half. 'Note that when you buy a plant, it usually comes in a "potter's pot" which is a small plastic container meant for temporary use. Ideally, you'd buy new pots (terracotta or ceramic) and re-pot your plant with additional soil.' Instead of repotting into a new pot, keep the plants in the "potter's pot" and sit that in a nice decorative…

Plants from the nursery are often on the verge of being root-bound (if they aren't already) and getting nasty J-roots and the like.

Up-potting is important for overall plant health, regardless of what kind of pots one chooses to use.

Personally, I can't imagine needing to worry about having appropriate inner pots to go along with everything.

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#36

Post by stevekemp »

tomcam wrote: post #9
every wrote: post #5

Definitely the Dracaena trifasciata (snake plant, mother-in-law-tongue). The only way to kill it is with over watering. Once a month is plenty. They have been discovered in closets still thriving after months in the dark. Green, alive and near zero maintenance. This is your plant...

What’s the hardiest edible plant? I love the whole indoor plant idea but want to be practical too.

Mint is pretty resilient too, I accidentally left a (large) pot of it on the balcony over the winter in Helsinki. It spent a couple of months at -10, and was covered in ice/snow too.

When some came around again in March this year it was still alive, much to my surprise.

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#37

Post by stevekemp »

waste_monk wrote: post #19
Plantlover69 wrote: post #14

Here's a tip I learned from taking care of house plants for the last year and half. 'Note that when you buy a plant, it usually comes in a "potter's pot" which is a small plastic container meant for temporary use. Ideally, you'd buy new pots (terracotta or ceramic) and re-pot your plant with additional soil.' Instead of repotting into a new pot, keep the plants in the "potter's pot" and sit that in a nice decorative…

On the other hand they'll never grow if kept in the potter's pot, which is probably desirable in a houseplant, but personally I would rather watch the plant grow. I was gifted a monstera adansonii in a fairly small (12cm diameter iirc) pot and it remained more or less the same size for a year or so, but since repotting it a couple of months ago into a 25cm pot and providing a new trellis structure it's grown nearly 3…

I kept a Japanese Peace Lily on my bathroom windowsill in Scotland for a few years. Never watered it once. It thrived, and survived entirely on shower-steam (presumably condensing on the leaves/pot/soil).

They're pretty resilient plants to keep, the way the leaves start to droop when they need watering makes it really easy to take care of them, even for people without particular plant-skills.

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#38

Post by 74d-fe6-2c6 »

the key to growing a green thumb is finding a plant that actually interests you. For me that plant was Cannabis. Doing my own micro grow in a 22x38x64 [cm] box forced me to learn about all sorts of things of relevance to a plant:

- light intensitiy, spectrum, sources

- fertilizers

- soil types

- watering patterns and methods

- vermins and how to deal with them

- plant physiology and developmental phases

- water quality, pH levels

also I think that it's worth starting from seed. this makes it more personal.

another interesting plant is cactus (in my case San Pedros to be specific). though, they are much less of a hassle compared to Cannabis. but that led me to asking about how cactusses anatomically relate to regular plants, needed to learn yet another watering pattern, looking forward to grafting.

vegetables are also cool. I personally don't find much interest in plants which are just standing around, serving no purpose - pretty much exactly what I'd get from those suggested in the article.

Re: A Beginner's Guide to Houseplants

#39

Post by joseph »

I like to grow herbs from the ridiculously priced ones they sell at the grocery store. Put a sprig or two in a jar of water for a few weeks or whenever roots begin to sprout, then transplant them to a pot. I'm no green thumb but I've found this is pretty easy to do. Many of them grow well outdoors too.
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